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Oakland

Burt County

The beautiful Logan in early spring. The first log cabin, built near its banks by Aron Arlington in 1857 and later owned by John and Inger Oak, was the beginning of the town of Oakland.

The crossroads on Oakland Avenue from the M.E.Church steeple, 1895.

Lutheran Mission Sewing Society at a picnic on the Logan, 1913. Renard Mill in the background.

Brick buildings have replaced many of the wooden ones on Oakland Avenue by 1915.

The crossroads of the community are well defined as Oakland continues to evolve, 1950

Oakland is a Swedish community named for a Norwegian, John
Oak.

John and Inger Askwig Oak, who homesteaded near Tekamah in
1855, "moved west" in 1866, and lived in the log cabin
built by Aron Arlington in 1857 on Logan Creek. Oak helped many
new arrivals to the Logan valley, going with them to the land
office in Omaha to register their claims. Some lived with him
while they built their sod houses. Early meetings of School
District 14 were held in Oak's cabin so John P.Anderson drew up a
petition asking the county commissioners to name the settlement
"Oakland" in his honor.

The request was honored. A post office was established May 11,
1868, with John Oak, postmaster. Three years later Oak moved to
Lodi in Dakota County. Though his stay was brief, his name lives
on.

The first
school was held in Andrew Morell's sod house from May to August
1868, taught by Lina Clark. Money to run the school was raised by
popular subscription, as no tax could be levied for a school
until a three-month term had been held.

The town began to grow. The 1870 census recorded 227 citizens
in Oakland.

By 1879 it was certain the railroad would come through
Oakland. A group of public-spirited men raised money to purchase
the present town site. The deed was signed by the governor on
October 13, 1879. The town was literally "on the move."
Businesses on Commercial Avenue and Water Street were moved
"uptown" to Oakland Avenue. A church, built in 1878,
also was moved several blocks up the hill.

Railroads were a big factor in Oakland's prosperity. The first
railroad, the North Western (C&NW), arrived in 1880, and a
second line, the Burlington (CB&Q) now Burlington Northern,
was built from Ashland through Oakland and on to Sioux City in
1907.

Oakland was incorporated in 1881. A.E.Wells, banker,
philanthropist, and chairman of the first village board, is
remembered for the park he developed. Its reputation as a beauty
spot of northeastern Nebraska lives on in photos and inspired
descriptions. Oakland was declared a Second Class City in 1896.

Churches
played an important role in the development of the town. Lutheran
and Baptist congregations were organized very early (1869). The
Swedish Lutherans were the first to erect a church on the
original town site. Other churches were the Methodist, the
Covenant Mission, the Free Mission, and an English Lutheran.

A 40-acre park was established in 1921, partially by
subscription and later taken over by the city through a bond
issue. The swimming pool was built in 1922. The park is adjoined
by a nine-hole golf course and the Burt County Fairgrounds.

In 1922
Oakland paved 84 blocks, which was more yards of paving per
capita than any other U.S. city at the time. During the 1920s
Oakland was one of the larger livestock feeding and shipping
points in the United States, with 50,000 pounds of butterfat and
15,000 cases of eggs shipped out annually.

In 1940, when hopes of federal money fell through, the city
auditorium was built entirely by subscription. Citizens, calling
it "P.W.A." (Privately, Without Aid), raised $35,000.
The hospital, opened in 1950, was financed by $164,000 in private
gifts, and $82,000 in federal aid.

Oakland's population of around 1,400 has remained relatively
stable for many years. A new grade school was built in 1984, a
three-physician clinic added to the hospital in 1985, a
street-level library opened in 1986, and a wing was added to the
locally-owned nursing home in 1987. Many improvements made
through the years have been the result of the enthusiasm of
Oakland citizens, who have given of their money, their time, and
their support.

A Swedish
festival is held biennially to celebrate the town's ethnic
heritage. A "sister city," Hammenhog, Sweden, was
adopted in 1958. The idea was conceived by Bob and Shirley Bogue,
editors of the Oakland Independent. Flags were exchanged, and
citizens from each city have visited each other on occasion.
There was also a student exchange in 1961.